This really is terrible news. I have known Steve for almost 20 years. Steve had a photographic memory for Civil War Tokens, Hard Times Tokens, and anything else exonumia related. He set up at all the major shows and would be happy to talk with anyone interested in this field. I worked with him closely over the years on many deals and he was very close with my father who collected Civil War Tokens and Sutler Tokens purchasing most of his pieces exclusively through Steve. This is truly a tragic loss for our close knit hobby and my prayers go out to his family in this tough time.
New England Rarities...Dealer In Colonial Coinage and Americana
How horrible. I read about this monster yesterday and was thrilled that he was caught. How horrible that one of the victims was in numismatics.
My parents' Baltimore clothing store was held up in 1982. My father fatally shot the dirt bag as the dirt bag briefly moved his gun away from my mother's head. A very cost-effective solution w/no recidivism.
G-d bless Stephen's family. So senseless. What a tragic loss. Did he have young children?
Clearly NOT a mental case, just a sociopathic killer in dire need of a lethal injection ASAP.
How tragic that the police didn't shoot him on the Metro. A knife is a lethal threat which clearly justifies a lethal response. Likely bystander injury played a large role in that decision. I'm glad that the officer didn't get severly wounded or killed.
Clearly NOT a mental case, just a sociopathic killer in dire need of a lethal injection ASAP.
How tragic that the police didn't shoot him on the Metro. A knife is a lethal threat which clearly justifies a lethal response. Likely bystander injury played a large role in that decision. I'm glad that the officer didn't get severly wounded or killed.
What a totally worthless P.O._. >>
His body language as he is led to and entering the cop car says to me: "ok. I'm screwed. I'm caught. This is it. I'm going to jail. I'm screwed."
Is that the way you read him?
At best it was drug induced.
If I were the prosecution I'd have that video to show is mental state shortly after the event. No way insane.
I was saddened to hear the news. Although I am interested in just about every area of numismatics, I bought my first Civil War Token as a young girl and they have always been my first love in the hobby. I am a Life Member of the Civil War Token Society. Steve's death is a major loss in so many ways. My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family. He will be greatly missed.
Kathy Lawrence Cataloger - Consignment Director kathyl@ha.com HA.com/Currency If you are not currently an HA.com member, you can join using reference #KL524148, and you'll also receive a complimentary book or auction catalog: HA.com/join
It seems Steve is one of those guys everyone in the industry knew and liked, us included. I can't count the times I spoke with him on the phone over the years. Our sincere condolences to his friends and family. What a shocking loss.
It's sad that this happened and tragic that the murderer has his so-called rights and will be convicted and appeal etc, etc, and will probably never be executed. These kind of people if it was witnessed -and it was -should be convicted and take their punishment in an expedient manner whatever it may be. I'm tired of the rights of innocent people being taken away and then the culprit exercises his "rights."
With permission from Wayne Homren, the editor of the E-Sylum, the online newsletter of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society, here is the article they printed on Sunday night, just a few hours after this tragedy occured:
V14 2011 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE
The E-Sylum: Volume 14, Number 7, February 13, 2011, Article 2
DEALER STEVE TANENBAUM FELLED BY KILLER IN NEW YORK RAMPAGE
A violent rampage in New York City has claimed the life of longtime token dealer Steve Tanenbaum. -Editor Joe Levine spread the word on Saturday, forwarding a copy of a newspaper article on the killer's rampage which spanned nearly 28 hours and two boroughs. After stabbing people in a crowded subway, he then drove to the home of his former girlfriend, killing her and stabbing her mother.
He then jumped into his car, smashing into another vehicle. He stabbed that driver in the chest, leaving him in stable condition. He then sped off, hitting and killing pedestrian Stephen Tanenbaum.
At that point I'd only seen the story but had not heard confirmation that the pedestrian was the Stephen Tanenbaum known in the numismatic community. David Gladfelter wrote:
It is probably our Steve because he lived in Brooklyn. I don’t know much about Steve’s family but know that he had a brother. If anyone can reach Rich Rossa, his former business partner, we might get more information.
On Sunday I heard from John Kraljevich, who writes:
I spoke to Rich Rossa, Steve's long time partner and friend. He's in touch with Steve's family. One of Steve's brothers is already in New York City making arrangements, another is on the way. Steve was apparently walking to the bank late yesterday afternoon when this unspeakable tragedy happened. Rich is handling it pretty well. As he told me, simply, "Steve's time was just up."
When I was about 11, toting my mom around to coin shows, there was a select group of dealers who were happy to just sit, talk, and teach. Steve was one of them. We've been friends ever since and I'll miss him.
December took Cameron Kiefer, January took Joe Lasser, now Steve in February. Enough already.
Below are excerpts of accounts from the New York Times and the Associated Press. -Editor A fugitive with a knife, who the police said had left behind a calamity of murders and broken lives in Brooklyn, was captured by officers at Times Square on Saturday morning after stabbing another victim on a subway train, investigators said.
It was the culmination of a roller-coaster of violence that included three fatal stabbings; a hit-and-run homicide; four other stabbings; four auto thefts, including two carjackings; death threats against several others who got in the way; a dangerous manhunt by hundreds of police officers; and for millions of New Yorkers a round-the-clock ordeal of a killer on the loose in the city.
Mr. Kelly said he had never encountered a crime spree like Mr. Gelman’s. “It’s so horrendous and bizarre,” he said at an afternoon news conference. “Obviously, if he wasn’t apprehended this morning, he could have injured, killed, many more people.”
The arrest was the climax of a 28-hour drama in which, the police said, Mr. Gelman killed his mother’s companion as well as his former girlfriend and her mother in knife attacks at two apartments in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, then seized a car, stabbed the driver, fatally struck a pedestrian and sped away.
To read the complete article, see: Suspect in Brooklyn Stabbing Spree Is Captured (www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/nyregion/13stab.html)
The stabbing spree started just after 5 a.m. Friday, when police say Gelman fatally knifed his stepfather, Aleksandr Kuznetsov, at their apartment in Brooklyn's Sheepshead Bay neighborhood. Gelman had gotten into a fight with his mother after she refused to allow him to use her Lexus, and Kuznetsov intervened and was attacked, Kelly said.
Police found the 54-year-old man's body at his home in the predominantly Eastern European immigrant neighborhood. The Ukrainian-born Gelman and his mother became naturalized U.S. citizens in 2004 or 2005, Kelly said.
At about 10:30 a.m., several blocks away, Gelman entered the home of his ex-girlfriend and used a kitchen knife to fatally stab her mother, 56-year-old Anna Bulchenko, Kelly said. When 20-year-old Yelena Bulchenko arrived home at about 4 p.m., she found her mother dead in a pool of blood and called 911, police said.
Gelman apparently was still in the house, chasing Bulchenko as she fled outside and stabbing her 11 times as she died, Kelly said.
He then sped away in the Lexus to Brooklyn's Midwood neighborhood, rear-ending a Pontiac. The driver confronted Gelman and was stabbed three times in the chest but survived and was in stable condition, Kelly said.
Gelman drove off in the Pontiac, hitting 62-year-old pedestrian Stephen Tanenbaum, who died of his injuries, police said. He later abandoned the car, engine running, in the driveway of a private house in Midwood, not far from a freight railroad line "Gelman frequented as a graffiti artist," Kelly said.
To read the complete article, see: Police: Man kills 4 in stabbing rampage in NYC (www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-12-new-york-stabbings_N.htm)
Donald Erlenkotter, Editor and Past President of the Civil War Token Society forwarded this from the CWTS Hall of Fame section on the Society's Web site:
Stephen L. Tanenbaum
Steve Tanenbaum is considered by many to be the most knowledgeable active person in the field of Civil War tokens. He has been relied upon for many decades as a consultant, editor, and contributor to numerous CWT works. After beginning his CWT collecting journey in 1972, he became a full-time dealer for tokens in 1981. Steve has handled, purchased, and built some of the greatest modern-day collections, although he always considers himself a collector first. He has discovered hundreds of new varieties, previously unknown die states, and odd mint errors. Steve has been elected to eight terms on the Board of Governors, and also filled two partial terms by appointment. He has served as Vice President of the Society since 2004.
David Gladfelter writes:
Steve was vice president of the Civil War Token Society and participated actively in many of its projects, primarily, the upcoming third edition of the store card catalog originally written by George and Melvin Fuld. He was a major contributor to Russell Rulau’s catalog of American tokens, published by Krause Publications.
He was in charge of the CWTS Hall of Fame medal program which has honored such persons as George and Melvin Fuld, Julius Guttag, George Hetrich, Jack Detwiler and Joseph N. T. Levick. He knew John J. Ford. Jr. very well and was as close to being Ford’s confidant as just about anybody. He had several exhibits at the American Numismatic Society over the years. He was a walking encyclopedia of token and medal information.
He was well known, well liked and well respected throughout the numismatic community. A huge loss to all.
I knew Steve myself for about thirty years. I bought many a token from him at coin shows, including quite a number of counterstamps. When the Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh sold their coin collection, Steve bid for me on encased postage stamps being sold at Spink in London, securing a few good bargains for me.
Another time I appraised a collection of coins in the Pittsburgh area and found a neat colonial coin with a New York merchant counterstamp. Steve had a huge personal collection of New York tokens and he bought the piece for top dollar.
Many a time I decided not to buy certain tokens from Steve because his selling prices seemed top dollar as well. But that's the natural position for someone who makes the market in a particular collectible. Of course, the market has advanced many times since then and naturally I wish I'd bought far more from Steve.
One of the last times I spoke to Steve was in 2006. I got a phone call from him from out of the blue after the American Numismatic Rarities catalog of my civil war collection came out. He had apparently spent twenty years looking for the New York cardboard scrip tokens in my collection, and had despaired of ever finding them on the market again. He bought most of them in the sale, again for his personal collection. It will be interesting to see his that collection come up for sale someday - I'm sure it contains some blockbuster token rarities.
What a sad end for one of the nicest and most knowledgeable numismatists in the country. Our thoughts are with his family in this time of shock and sorrow. -Editor
Wayne Homren, Editor
-----------------
Here is a link to the original article in the NBS's archives:
I had not been in touch with Steve for many years, but I remember him as a true professional -- knowledgeable, always eager to learn more, and courteous to others. At times we disagreed, but he always expressed his views with civility. His death is a major loss to numismatics.
I wish I could have made it out for the services, but I lost my mom on Sunday. I found out just a few minutes after finding out about Steve. Real bummer.
<< <i>I wish I could have made it out for the services, but I lost my mom on Sunday. I found out just a few minutes after finding out about Steve. Real bummer. >>
I am so sorry to hear that, Rick. You have our sincere condolences.
<< <i>That's crazy! My prayers go out to the families. >>
According to the article an hour before he's apprehended by the police and a full day after he starts his rampage he comments to a lady on a train reading a newspaper, "Do you believe what they're writing about me?" This is an insanity defense waiting to happen. I, too, express my condolences to the grieving family and friends.
EDIT: Rick, just read your replies. You have my sincere condolences, as well.
Free room and board for life hardly seems an appropriate punishment.
Still miss seeing Steve at the shows......
"My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose, Cardinal.
I got an excited phone call from a mutual friend of Steve's midday yesterday to tell me this news. While NY has no death penalty aside from killing a police officer, it's gratifying to see that the court assessed a punishment befitting the awfulness of these crimes.
The last time I saw Steve alive was a year ago this week -- while viewing Stack's Americana sale, which starts viewing again today. Last year I was sitting next to Steve making fun of his horrible winter coat and nerding out over weird tokens. This year I'll be viewing the collection he so prized, catalogued and made ready for sale. It's sad.
Those of you who never knew Steve missed out. He forgot more about exonumia than I know. That's not false modesty or exaggerating Steve's knowledge. I know a lot about it. He knew VASTLY more. It sucks that he's not here.
I hope that the news offers Steve's family and friends another step towards some sort of closure. I never had the honor of meeting him, I just knew of him by his stellar reputation.
Numismatist Ordinaire See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
Comments
wow...
President, Racine Numismatic Society 2013-2014; Variety Resource Dimes; See 6/8/12 CDN for my article on Winged Liberty Dimes; Ebay
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces
Bummer.
My sympathy to his family
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Coinfame,Kaelasdad,Type2,UNLVino,MICHAELDIXON
Justacommeman,tydye,78saen,123cents,blue62vette,Segoja,Nibanny
My parents' Baltimore clothing store was held up in 1982. My father fatally shot the dirt bag as the dirt bag briefly moved his gun away from my mother's head. A very cost-effective solution w/no recidivism.
G-d bless Stephen's family. So senseless. What a tragic loss. Did he have young children?
Clearly NOT a mental case, just a sociopathic killer in dire need of a lethal injection ASAP.
How tragic that the police didn't shoot him on the Metro. A knife is a lethal threat which clearly justifies a lethal response. Likely bystander injury played a large role in that decision. I'm glad that the officer didn't get severly wounded or killed.
What a totally worthless P.O._.
<< <i>Just watched the video.
Clearly NOT a mental case, just a sociopathic killer in dire need of a lethal injection ASAP.
How tragic that the police didn't shoot him on the Metro. A knife is a lethal threat which clearly justifies a lethal response. Likely bystander injury played a large role in that decision. I'm glad that the officer didn't get severly wounded or killed.
What a totally worthless P.O._. >>
His body language as he is led to and entering the cop car says to me: "ok. I'm screwed. I'm caught. This is it. I'm going to jail. I'm screwed."
Is that the way you read him?
At best it was drug induced.
If I were the prosecution I'd have that video to show is mental state shortly after the event. No way insane.
Cataloger - Consignment Director
kathyl@ha.com
HA.com/Currency
If you are not currently an HA.com member, you can join using reference #KL524148, and you'll also receive a complimentary book or auction catalog: HA.com/join
Jenna
-Douglas Winter Numismatics
Collecting:
Conder tokens
19th & 20th Century coins from Great Britain and the Realm
The memorial will be held at 3pm Wednesday, Chapel at Sharon Gardens, Valhalla, NY 10595. Here is a link for directions
http://www.kensico.org/sharon-gardens.asp
I'm sure the numismatic community will be well represented there.
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
V14 2011 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE
The E-Sylum: Volume 14, Number 7, February 13, 2011, Article 2
DEALER STEVE TANENBAUM FELLED BY KILLER IN NEW YORK RAMPAGE
A violent rampage in New York City has claimed the life of longtime token dealer Steve Tanenbaum. -Editor
Joe Levine spread the word on Saturday, forwarding a copy of a newspaper article on the killer's rampage which spanned nearly 28 hours and two boroughs. After stabbing people in a crowded subway, he then drove to the home of his former girlfriend, killing her and stabbing her mother.
He then jumped into his car, smashing into another vehicle. He stabbed that driver in the chest, leaving him in stable condition. He then sped off, hitting and killing pedestrian Stephen Tanenbaum.
At that point I'd only seen the story but had not heard confirmation that the pedestrian was the Stephen Tanenbaum known in the numismatic community. David Gladfelter wrote:
It is probably our Steve because he lived in Brooklyn. I don’t know much about Steve’s family but know that he had a brother. If anyone can reach Rich Rossa, his former business partner, we might get more information.
On Sunday I heard from John Kraljevich, who writes:
I spoke to Rich Rossa, Steve's long time partner and friend. He's in touch with Steve's family. One of Steve's brothers is already in New York City making arrangements, another is on the way. Steve was apparently walking to the bank late yesterday afternoon when this unspeakable tragedy happened. Rich is handling it pretty well. As he told me, simply, "Steve's time was just up."
When I was about 11, toting my mom around to coin shows, there was a select group of dealers who were happy to just sit, talk, and teach. Steve was one of them. We've been friends ever since and I'll miss him.
December took Cameron Kiefer, January took Joe Lasser, now Steve in February. Enough already.
Below are excerpts of accounts from the New York Times and the Associated Press. -Editor
A fugitive with a knife, who the police said had left behind a calamity of murders and broken lives in Brooklyn, was captured by officers at Times Square on Saturday morning after stabbing another victim on a subway train, investigators said.
It was the culmination of a roller-coaster of violence that included three fatal stabbings; a hit-and-run homicide; four other stabbings; four auto thefts, including two carjackings; death threats against several others who got in the way; a dangerous manhunt by hundreds of police officers; and for millions of New Yorkers a round-the-clock ordeal of a killer on the loose in the city.
Mr. Kelly said he had never encountered a crime spree like Mr. Gelman’s. “It’s so horrendous and bizarre,” he said at an afternoon news conference. “Obviously, if he wasn’t apprehended this morning, he could have injured, killed, many more people.”
The arrest was the climax of a 28-hour drama in which, the police said, Mr. Gelman killed his mother’s companion as well as his former girlfriend and her mother in knife attacks at two apartments in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, then seized a car, stabbed the driver, fatally struck a pedestrian and sped away.
To read the complete article, see: Suspect in Brooklyn Stabbing Spree Is Captured (www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/nyregion/13stab.html)
The stabbing spree started just after 5 a.m. Friday, when police say Gelman fatally knifed his stepfather, Aleksandr Kuznetsov, at their apartment in Brooklyn's Sheepshead Bay neighborhood. Gelman had gotten into a fight with his mother after she refused to allow him to use her Lexus, and Kuznetsov intervened and was attacked, Kelly said.
Police found the 54-year-old man's body at his home in the predominantly Eastern European immigrant neighborhood. The Ukrainian-born Gelman and his mother became naturalized U.S. citizens in 2004 or 2005, Kelly said.
At about 10:30 a.m., several blocks away, Gelman entered the home of his ex-girlfriend and used a kitchen knife to fatally stab her mother, 56-year-old Anna Bulchenko, Kelly said. When 20-year-old Yelena Bulchenko arrived home at about 4 p.m., she found her mother dead in a pool of blood and called 911, police said.
Gelman apparently was still in the house, chasing Bulchenko as she fled outside and stabbing her 11 times as she died, Kelly said.
He then sped away in the Lexus to Brooklyn's Midwood neighborhood, rear-ending a Pontiac. The driver confronted Gelman and was stabbed three times in the chest but survived and was in stable condition, Kelly said.
Gelman drove off in the Pontiac, hitting 62-year-old pedestrian Stephen Tanenbaum, who died of his injuries, police said. He later abandoned the car, engine running, in the driveway of a private house in Midwood, not far from a freight railroad line "Gelman frequented as a graffiti artist," Kelly said.
To read the complete article, see: Police: Man kills 4 in stabbing rampage in NYC (www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-12-new-york-stabbings_N.htm)
Donald Erlenkotter, Editor and Past President of the Civil War Token Society forwarded this from the CWTS Hall of Fame section on the Society's Web site:
Stephen L. Tanenbaum
Steve Tanenbaum is considered by many to be the most knowledgeable active person in the field of Civil War tokens. He has been relied upon for many decades as a consultant, editor, and contributor to numerous CWT works. After beginning his CWT collecting journey in 1972, he became a full-time dealer for tokens in 1981. Steve has handled, purchased, and built some of the greatest modern-day collections, although he always considers himself a collector first. He has discovered hundreds of new varieties, previously unknown die states, and odd mint errors. Steve has been elected to eight terms on the Board of Governors, and also filled two partial terms by appointment. He has served as Vice President of the Society since 2004.
David Gladfelter writes:
Steve was vice president of the Civil War Token Society and participated actively in many of its projects, primarily, the upcoming third edition of the store card catalog originally written by George and Melvin Fuld. He was a major contributor to Russell Rulau’s catalog of American tokens, published by Krause Publications.
He was in charge of the CWTS Hall of Fame medal program which has honored such persons as George and Melvin Fuld, Julius Guttag, George Hetrich, Jack Detwiler and Joseph N. T. Levick. He knew John J. Ford. Jr. very well and was as close to being Ford’s confidant as just about anybody. He had several exhibits at the American Numismatic Society over the years. He was a walking encyclopedia of token and medal information.
He was well known, well liked and well respected throughout the numismatic community. A huge loss to all.
I knew Steve myself for about thirty years. I bought many a token from him at coin shows, including quite a number of counterstamps. When the Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh sold their coin collection, Steve bid for me on encased postage stamps being sold at Spink in London, securing a few good bargains for me.
Another time I appraised a collection of coins in the Pittsburgh area and found a neat colonial coin with a New York merchant counterstamp. Steve had a huge personal collection of New York tokens and he bought the piece for top dollar.
Many a time I decided not to buy certain tokens from Steve because his selling prices seemed top dollar as well. But that's the natural position for someone who makes the market in a particular collectible. Of course, the market has advanced many times since then and naturally I wish I'd bought far more from Steve.
One of the last times I spoke to Steve was in 2006. I got a phone call from him from out of the blue after the American Numismatic Rarities catalog of my civil war collection came out. He had apparently spent twenty years looking for the New York cardboard scrip tokens in my collection, and had despaired of ever finding them on the market again. He bought most of them in the sale, again for his personal collection. It will be interesting to see his that collection come up for sale someday - I'm sure it contains some blockbuster token rarities.
What a sad end for one of the nicest and most knowledgeable numismatists in the country. Our thoughts are with his family in this time of shock and sorrow. -Editor
Wayne Homren, Editor
-----------------
Here is a link to the original article in the NBS's archives:
NBS Website Link to article on Steve Tanenbaum
Coin Rarities Online
... as a reminder for those folks wishing to attend Steve's memorial service later today.
Valhalla, NY is a few minutes North of White Plains.
Coin Rarities Online
Al Jakira
<< <i>I wish I could have made it out for the services, but I lost my mom on Sunday. I found out just a few minutes after finding out about Steve. Real bummer. >>
I am so sorry to hear that, Rick. You have our sincere condolences.
Sorry to hear of your mother's passing, EagleEye.
"Everything is on its way to somewhere. Everything." - George Malley, Phenomenon
http://www.american-legacy-coins.com
I was glad I went.
Lots of people spoke about what Steve meant to them. Many funny stories, and stories of his quiet generosity.
There was a slide show of photos & of words from people who couldn't make it to the service that a niece of Steve's had put together for the occasion.
A fitting tribute to a genuinely good man.
Coin Rarities Online
Michael E. Marotta
ANA MSNS CSNS
<< <i>That's crazy! My prayers go out to the families. >>
According to the article an hour before he's apprehended by the police and a full day after he starts his rampage he comments to a lady on a train reading a newspaper, "Do you believe what they're writing about me?" This is an insanity defense waiting to happen. I, too, express my condolences to the grieving family and friends.
EDIT: Rick, just read your replies. You have my sincere condolences, as well.
Sentenced,msn news
Still miss seeing Steve at the shows......
<< <i>There is no death row in New York. Capital punishment was ruled unconstitutional in that state seven years ago. >>
Maybe it' stime they reconsider...
ebaybuyer
Senior Member
<< <i>tragic loss, im betting the gun manufacturers were relieved to hear that this idiot's weapon of choice was a knife >>
So far, this is leading for "Dumbest Post of the Year" award.
Maybe if one of these people were allowed to have a gun, there wouldn't be 4 people dead.
The last time I saw Steve alive was a year ago this week -- while viewing Stack's Americana sale, which starts viewing again today. Last year I was sitting next to Steve making fun of his horrible winter coat and nerding out over weird tokens. This year I'll be viewing the collection he so prized, catalogued and made ready for sale. It's sad.
Those of you who never knew Steve missed out. He forgot more about exonumia than I know. That's not false modesty or exaggerating Steve's knowledge. I know a lot about it. He knew VASTLY more. It sucks that he's not here.
Betts medals, colonial coins, US Mint medals, foreign coins found in early America, and other numismatic Americana
See http://www.doubledimes.com for a free online reference for US twenty-cent pieces